Apparatus for reproduction of sound



`lune 2, 1936. J. M. HATFll-:LD

APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCTION OF SOUND 1955 s sheets-sheel Filed Aug. 5,

nvenlor A Homey June 2, 1936.

J. M. HATFIELD APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCTION OF SOUND Filed Aug. 5, 1955 5 sheets-sheet 2.

Invnlor A Homey June 2, 1936. J. M. HATFIELD APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCTION OF SOUND Filed Aug. 5, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A Home);

w. l, z f w d w l .\m/ V N N PULL LPatented June 2', 12936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCTION F SOUND l 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the reproduction of sound, the device being mainly intended for use by the blind, the general object of the invention lbeing to provide a sheet carrying photographic sound recordsl transversely Yarranged thereon With means for moving the sheet step by step vlongitudinally and a carriage carrying sound means movable back and forth across the sheet for reproducing sound from the sheet.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed cut in l5 the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters deno-te like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the device, showing the same in a casing with the casing in section. l

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional View on line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the carriage and portions of the belt.

Figure 5 is a sectional View on line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail View on line 6 6 of Figure 4.

V In these drawings the letter A indicates a casing containing the device and the letter B indicates an elongated strip of suitable material having the transversely extending rows b of sound Images thereon. This strip is Wound upon a roller I rotatably supported in the casing adjacent one side wall thereof and the strip is attached in any suitable manner to a roller 2 rotatably supported in the casing adjacent the other side wall thereof.

'I'he roller 2 carries a ratchet Wheel 3 engaged by a dog 4 pivoted to a sliding link 5 which is slidably supported by the bracket 6 in the casing, the

link having a bent end l for engagement by an eccentric pin on a pulley 8 rotatably supported on a shaft 9 mounted in the casing. A spring 5 tends to hold the bent end in the path of the pin.

The pulley 8 has attached thereto a worm gear I0 which is engaged by a worm I I loosely arranged on the shaft I2 of a motor M. A pinion I3 is also loosely arranged on the shaft I2 and a clutch I4 is located between the clutch part |15 of 'the worm I'I anda clutch part i6 of 'the pinion I3. 4This clutch It is operated by a lever Il lattached to a pull and push 'rod I8 which passes through an opening in the casing and by operating this member YI8 the clutch I4 `can be moved "into engagement with either the clutch part I 5 or the 'clutch part I5. Of course when the part Il! is in engagement with the part I5 the motor will drive the worm I I and When engagement with the part 10 I6 will drive the pinion I3. The pinion I3 is in mesh with the train of gearing I9 Which imparts movement to the roller I when the pinion I3 is being driven by the motor I2 so that the sheet B can be rewound on the roller I. 15

A second pulley 20 is rotatably supported by a shaft 2| in the casing and a belt 22, preferably of the V-type passes over pulleys 8 and 2U. The outer face of the belt has the lugs 23 thereon. A track 24 is arranged between these pulleys 20 and supports for reciprocatory movement a carriage 25 which is formed of two parts 25 spaced apart for passage of, the strip B. The two parts of the carriage are connected together by a substantially U-shaped member 26. The carriage carries the usual electric reproducing means which includes the lamp 2l and the photo-cells 28. These parts cooperate with the usual means for reproducing the sound images of the strip B.

The carriage has attached thereto brackets 29 30 arranged on opposite sides thereof and at opposite ends and each bracket carries a shaft 33 to which is pivoted a small lever 3I which has one end yieldingly held against a lug 23 by a spring 32. A post 33 is arranged adjacent each of the 35 pulleys 8 and 20, one at one side of the belt and the other at the opposite side thereof as shown in Figure 1, each post being adapted to trip a lever 3|, when a lever is brought against the post, so that as the carriage reaches one side of the sheet 40 B the post trips the lever so as to disengage it from the lug 23 and then the opposite lever will engage another lug and thus the carriage is moved back and forth over the strip. At the end of each movement of the carriage the ratchet means operated by the pin of the pulley 8 will rotate the roller 2 so as to bring another row of images into position under the sound means on the carriage as the carriage makes its return trip 50 over the sheet.

Thus I have provided means whereby an entire book (for instance) can be placed in sound images on a sheet and the sound images reproduced by a sound reproducing device by means of. my inven- 55 CII tion. The rows of sound Waves must alternate from right to left and left to right.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A reproducing device comprising an elongated sheet having sound images arranged thereon in transverse rows, a carriage carrying sound reproducing means, a pair of pulleys arranged adjacent the sides of the sheet, a belt passing over the pulleys, means for connecting the carriage to one reach of the belt for moving the carriage across the sheet in one direction, and then to connect the carriage with the other reach of the belt to move the carriage across the sheet in an opposite direction, such means including means for disconnecting the carriage from the belt at the end of each stroke of the carriage, means for rotating one of the pulleys and means for moving the sheet.

amener? 2. In a sound reproducing device an elongated sheet having transverse lines of sound images thereon, a pair of rollers on one of which the sheet is wound and to the other of which one end of the sheet is adapted to be connected, a track extending across the sheet, a carriage movable on the track and carrying sound reproducing means, a pair of pulleys arranged adjacent the sides of the sheet between the rolls, a belt passing over the pulleys, lugs on the belt, levers carried by the carriage, spring means for holding the levers in engagement with the lugs, means for tripping the levers at each end of the track to cause the belt to reciprocate the carriage, a ratchet Wheel connected With the second roller, a dog for engaging the Wheel, means for operating the dog by the rotary movement of one of the pulleys, a motor including a shaft, means including clutch means for operating the last mentioned pulley from the motor shaft, gearing including clutch means for operating the rst mentioned roller by the motor shaft and manually operated clutch means for connecting either of the first mentioned clutch means to the shaft.

JESSE MARTIN HATFIELD. 

